Home Is Where The Heart Is
by greysdead
Summary: Izzie Istrafi finds out from her dying mother that her father is famous actor, Norman Reedus. She embarks on the roller coaster of a life time of getting to know him, fame, and criticism... But has she really bitten off more then she can chew?


**Hello everybody! I haven't wrote in a while so please excuse any grammar mistakes. I have decided to make this story into series'. There will be five chapters per series and I will gradually bring more and more characters into the story to keep things interesting. Thank you for reading, please review, favourite and follow!**

Today was the day that Izzie would go to meet Norman, her biological father. She had been raised by a lovely man called Ali, but now her mother was dead he wanted nothing to do with her. Saying she 'wasn't his problem anymore." She had gotten Norman's address from her mom, who had also given her pictures of her and Norman incase he didn't believe who she said she was. For extra security she also had her birth certificate. It was a 4 hour drive and she was absolutely exhausted. She had a 2002 Peugeot 206 in black. It was cheap, old and had seen better days but it was her baby. She had nicknamed him Pete.

She was so overwhelmed with fear. She gave herself a brief pep talk and then walked to his front door. His house was amazing. Bigger then the 2 bedroom house her and her mother, Kendra had shared. The state had now taken the house back and she was now homeless. All her most prized possessions were all squished into Pete's small trunk.

She took a few small breaths before ringing the door bell. It was a few moments before somebody answered. A beautiful Latina, who had once played Rosita on The Walking Dead.

"Hi... Can I help you?" Izzie was completely lost for words, almost stars truck. She hoped she had the right house.

"Hi, I'm looking for my dad... I'm wondering if he lives here."

"No, I'm sorry..." Christian began to close the door.

"Norman Reedus... Does he live here?" Christian stopped. "He's my dad. Please tell me he lives here. Let me explain. I know it must look bad..." Izzie begged.

Christian sighed. "Come in." She said wiry. Izzie nodded and walked inside the home. The house was an absolute dream. Absolutely beautiful. Christian led her into the living room where they sat on the couch. Izzie began to tell Christian everything, desperate for her to believe her.

"My mom and Norman met when they were young. They were neighbours, fell in love blah blah blah and by 16 my mom was married to him. A couple years later they were arguing all the time and Norman left and moved to New York. That's when my mom found out she was pregnant. She didn't want to tell him as she knew this was his dream. She was made to move to the UK and that's where she raised me. She died last month and that's when I found out I had a dad... She told me he was dead, my entire life I thought my dad was dead. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't desperate. I want to know him. I drove four houses straight..." Christian looked like she felt sorry for her, that's not what Izzie wanted. She didn't want sympathy.

"Norman's filming today... He'll be here later. Would you like some food, I can make you a sandwich?"

"Yes please... I haven't ate in a few days." Christian then led Izzie to the kitchen.

"Why haven't you ate?" She sounded concerned.

"The state took back my house the other day... I've been living in my car. I had just enough money to have money to come here. That's why I was really hoping he was here." She poured Izzie a glass of water.

"He'll be home soon." Christian smiled.

"So are you both dating?" Izzie cheekily asks, looking at the two pictures of Christian and Norman on the fridge.

Christian smiled uncontrollably. "Yes, we are." Christian smiled. "Norman Reedus isn't the easiest man to date... He had a hard childhood so he's not to open about his emotions." Izzie nodded. She had read about Norman and his upbringing. Izzie's heart sank as she heard the door open.

"Christian?" Norman shouted from the door.

"In the kitchen babe!" She shouted back.

"I am covered in walker guts." Norman explained heading for the kitchen. "How was your day?" He walked up to her and kissed her. She kissed him back and smiled. Norman looked at Izzie like he recognised her. People told her constantly she looked exactly like her mom, maybe that was it. "Hi, Norman Redus." He says awkwardly, and very much confused.

"It's good to finally meet you." She awkwardly smiled.

"I don't mean to be rude, but do I know you? You look really familiar."

"Well no, not exactly. I'm Izzie... My mom, she's Kendra Istrafi." His eyes went big. He sure knew Kendra. "Look... I know this sounds crazy but you're my dad. I'm sorry I really don't know how to word it better then bluntly..." He looked at her like she had two heads. She didn't think he believed her.

"That's impossible..."

"She said she didn't tell you because of your job. She died last month after a long battle with cancer. She was forced to move to the UK... She couldn't tell you." Izzie pleaded.

"Get out." He said calmly.

"Wait... What?" Izzie asks, completely shocked.

"Norman..." Christian said, trying to reason with him.

"No, Christian. Can't you see? This girl is lying to us and l won't take it. Get out. Your mom, yeah I have no doubt she's your mom but I'm not your dad. Your mom was manipulative, and a cheat, and I wouldn't believe everything she said... Now go."

A tear ran down Izzie's cheek, how could he be so cruel? Izzie slammed some pictures and her birth certificate on the kitchen side and stormed out of the house.

"Norman, what the fuck?" Christian said, feeling sorry for Izzie.

"Christian, drop it. If you knew what Kendra was like you wouldn't be like this."

"No, I wouldn't know because you never told me. How have you never told me you were married, Norman. We've been dating for eight months."

"It's not a time I like to think about. I never thought it was important to talk about..."

"You're unbelievable." Christian said, grabbing her keys.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going home. If you can't see why I'm mad you need to have a deep, deep think about this." She stormed out the house. Norman sighed. His past was coming back to haunt him, yet again.

He went upstairs to shower, maybe Christian was right but nothing made sense to him at this moment. The thought of possibly having a daughter scared him, he had never even thought about having kids, and especially having a kid with Kendra. Who to this day he still had not forgave for what she put him through.

Izzie drove to a small diner just outside the city. She had $32 to her name, no house and was running low on gas. 8pm approached and at this time of year it was cold and dark. She had no idea what to do for the night and just planned to stay at the diner until it closed.

Little did she know, Norman had been driving around the city looking for her. This was his finale attempt and luckily enough, he saw her in the corner sat at an empty table. He walks over to sit next to her.

"No." Izzie bluntly says.

"You gotta understand... That was really overwhelming for me. I'm not good with emotions and this threw me over the edge." he sat down.

"What happened between you and my mom? My mother was the sweetest, most honest person you could ever had the pleasure of meeting. Hearing you talk about her like that really hurt me. I don't understand."

Norman took a deep breath. "Your mother cheated on me with multiple guys, including my best friend. She was a dream wife in the beginning but she changed. That's why I left. I couldn't handle the cheating, the arguing, the tension. I loved her to death, but she didn't love me. She married me to piss her parents off, it wasn't about love. It ruined me. I loved her with all my heart, but she treated me like I was a piece of dirt on the floor."

"My mom would never do that to anybody. She wouldn't upset a fly, let alone that."

"You would have been conceived around the time she had the affair so forgive me if I'm a little apprehensive." Norman snapped.

Izzie paused for a second and sighed. "One day I'm watching you on TV, hoping it wasn't you who Negan killed... Next thing on my mothers death bed I get told my dad, who I was told was dead is very much alive and is one of my favourite actors. It's overwhelming for me also."

"I am sorry about your mom..."

Izzie took a deep breath. "She had been sick for years. Her time came and I need to accept that." She said bluntly, not wanting to talk about her mom being sick.

Norman looked at the table. He felt guilty for trashing Kendra as much as he did. In a special way, yeah he probably did love her a little somewhere in his heart, but he couldn't get over what she had done to him. The pain and agony she had caused him. "Were gonna need to have a DNA test done before we sort out anything. I don't know how to look a kid..."

"I'm 18, Norman... I can look after myself." Izzie cut him off.

Norman sighed. He didn't know what to do. He was completely out of his comfort zone. "For the next few days, or whatever you can stay at my house. We'll have the DNA test, if you're my daughter you can stay... If not you'll have to leave." Izzie smiled.

"Thank you, but you're my dad. I can tell by looking at you, Norman. We have the same nose, eyes, hair... Naturally anyway." Norman smiled. He agreed, she did have his eyes and nose.

"It's getting late. Let's go." They stood up and headed back to Norman's house. Izzie followed him in Pete, although his car which was a 2016 BMW X5 was much better.

"Where is Christian?" Izzie asked, walking into the dark, empty house.

"She went back to her apartment... Not feeling well." Norman lied. "Sit in the living room, I'll bring us in a coffee..." Norman told her, she nodded and walked into the brown and white themed room.

Izzie and Norman sat and talked for hours. She told him about herself... Every detail. He was reserved and didn't talk much, but he was listening. Norman looked at the clock, it was 3:27am. He didn't realise hey had been talking for this long.

"I've told you every detail about me... Tell me about you." Izzie pleaded.

"I'm tired, filming was intense today and I have work in the morning, I should head up to bed." Izzie agreed. Today was a long day. They stood up and headed upstairs.

"You mention filming... So does that mean Negan didn't kill you?" Izzie grinned.

"October, kid." Norman smirked, which made her roll her eyes. "The bedroom to the far left is the spare bedroom, you can stay in there. I'll bring in some pyjamas that you can wear, their Christian's but I'm sure they'll fit."

"Thank you." He replied with a nod. She walks into the room with a huge shock. The bedroom was huge. Defiantly bigger then the living room and kitchen combined at her house back home... Well, ex home. The room had a huge bed, with a huge TV at the foot of the bed to go with it. It was grey and white themed. Norman knocked on the door and entered holding some pyjama trousers and a shirt. Izzie thanked him and he left. He was so reserved. She knew had a bad childhood and it upset her, he seemed like such a lovely person.

Norman laid in bed, thinking about today. It was hard to process what was going on for Norman. Izzie seemed genuine, and she was a dead ringer for Kendra. She's opened up a whole can of worms in his head with Kendra. Kendra was his first love and he didn't get over her for many, many years. He has never fully trusted a woman since. Pushing everything to the back of his mind he begins to fall into a sleep... Only to be disturbed seconds later by a bitter sweet dream.

Kendra taps on his shoulder, Norman grumbles and opens his eyes. His eyes suddenly widen. "Don't be afraid... It's not real. I just had to talk to you, Norman."

"This is a dream." He repeats and shake his head. He sits up. She sits in front of him.

"Of course it's a dream. I can't be at peace until I've spoken to you, then I can be at peace. Let me speak, please." Norman nods. "I regret what I did. What I did to you, I'm sorry. I should have told you about Izzie, I know I should have but I was ashamed. I don't know who her dad is still, I'm hoping its you. I mean, she looks like you and you cannot deny that. When I fell ill I found your address and found some pictures of both of us. I gave them to Izzabell the day before I died. It ate me alive watching her watch you on TV, not having a clue of who you were."

"Don't you dare play victim, Kendra Istrafi. I know your game, you've been manipulative ever since we were young. You haven't changed." Norman spat.

"Death changes you, Norman. Makes you see things in a different light. I see what I've done. I regret sleeping with George and the others, I do. I know he was your best friend but you were never there. You were more interested in working on the next project then showing your wife a little bit of attention."

"I WAS TRYING TO BUILD A FUTURE FOR US." He shouted, a stray tear fell from Kendra's eye.

"I wanted to find you after you left but my mom moved us to the UK. We moved to Turkey when Izzabell was five to get away from her. God, she was a bitch." Norman laughed. He shortly stopped, not wanting to seem interested in whatever she was saying.

"I'm going to get a DNA test done on me and Izzie, for obvious reasons. I can't... I can't have the doubt in my mind."

"Good, you should. Do you believe she is yours?" Norman paused. "It's alright if you don't. Get that DNA test done."

"I will. She seems like a decent kid..."

"She really is. You've done well with Christian. She seems like a lovely woman. Don't screw this one up, I've heard you're a bit of a ladies man... She really likes you."

"Don't you dare try and give me woman advice, spare it. Why are you even here? You have said your peace now go, and leave me the hell alone." Norman spat. He hated her for reopening badly closed wounds in his head.

"You're right. I have a daughter to go and see. Goodbye, Norman. I am truly sorry." Norman just stared until she disappeared.

Norman quickly snaps out of his dream, waking up sweating and breathing heavily. He went to check on Izzie to see if by chance she had had a similar dream. He looked in on her and she was asleep. The covers were at her feet and the light was on. He walked up to her bed and pulled the covers up to her upper body and turner her light off. He walks downstairs and make himself a strong drink. Tonight was going to be a sleepless night.

Norman sat on the kitchen counter with a bottle of Jack Daniels. It was 5am and all he wanted was Chriatian. He got his phone out and called her.

"Hello?" She mumbles.

"Babe can you come over?" Norman slurred.

"Norman it is 5 o'clock in the morning. Why are you awake?" She asked, still annoyed at him.

"I had a... Nightmare. Just come over please."

"Norman, you cannot be serious..." Chriatian sighed. "I'll see you in 20 minutes." She hung up and he went and sat on the porch waiting for her.

15 minutes later she pulled up on his drive. "What are you doing?" She asked, motioning to the half drake bottle of Jack Daniels.

"I'm getting haunted by my ex wife." He said seriously.

"Seriously, Norman?" She giggled.

"Yes, Christian. It's not funny."

No... No it's not." Chriatian held in laughter. "Come on. Let's go up to bed."

"No... I'm not tired."

"I'll have sex with you." She smirked. She knew as soon as his head hit the pillow he would fall asleep, works every time. Whenever he got drunk he just got tired.

"Let's go to bed." He said, standing up.

"You don't take much encouragement."

"If you were me and you had a girlfriend as beautiful as you, you would be the same."

"And that is the Jack Daniels talking." She laughed.

"No, Christian it's not. Look, I may be a little drunk but I do love you."

"Norman, you've never said that to be before."

"I know." She kissed him.

"Tell me tomorrow when you're fully sober. Come on let's go upstairs." They both smiled and entered the house. He put the Jack Daniels bottle on the side and they headed up to the bedroom.

Christian knew he loved her, and truth be told he was a little disappointed that he told her drunk. She hoped that he would feel the same sober.

She helped him up the stairs and laid him on the bed, she went to the bathroom and when she came back he was snoring. She smiled at him and then got into bed next to him and fell back to sleep.


End file.
